Fall Bulk Week 7 Review
My 7-day average weight has increased for the seventh straight week of this bulk. I’m going to share some of my keys to consistency.
In week 7, I was less concerned about catching up with my projected goal weight and more about continuing to gain quality lean mass. And that conscious decision was reflected in my daily diet and workout routine.
For instance, I added a few 30-minute morning walks to increase my energy expenditure and attempted to burn some body fat before getting into my first meal. Because of the extra calories burned, I actually ate more than I did in week 6.
However, my average surplus went from 435 calories/day to 352 calories/day. This is a minor adjustment, but my body seems to have tightened up while increasing my overall weight.
| Calories | |
|---|---|
| Average Calories Consumed | +3,123 |
| Average Calories Burned | -2,793 |
| Average Calorie Surplus | +352 (13%) |
Even though I’m slightly behind schedule in reaching my goal weight of 180 lbs, I am happy with my progress in this bulk. According to my body fat measurements, I’ve gained 5.6 pounds in 7 weeks, and more than half of that is muscle.
Still, maintaining this steady progress for 50 days straight hasn’t been easy. And there have been many challenges and days where I didn’t execute my plan perfectly.
However, the key to long-term progress is not being perfect every single day. Instead, it’s about keeping your focus on the end goal to get back on track when you step off course.
The biggest challenge for me is eating enough food to stay in my surplus, especially when I have a busy schedule or traveling. So, calorie intake is always the first box I try to check off daily.
Once my calories are accounted for, I look for ways to ensure I get adequate protein while coming close to my other macro targets. And I try to eat mostly clean foods to hit my macros.
Finally, the last check box is meal timing. I strive to consume high-carb, low-fat meals around my workouts. And taper the carbs off away from my workouts and before bed.
With this simple nutrition framework, I ensure that, at a minimum, I hit my calorie surplus every day. Energy balance is more than half the battle. After that, I check as many of my meal plan boxes as I can.
Keep up with my daily check-ins, or follow up next week with my final review to see if I reached my goal!
